News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-12-29


"Wouldn't old Simon be in q rage /
he should happen along now," sale
n Tom, as he helped Stuart to mount.
"This is about the best fun he ever
furnished u.s." laughed Stuart, as he
:, rode away, 'tand he'll never be any the
wiser, either
. He went Gathering up the road at G
= good pace, and the bridge-a rough log
structure-was reached all too soon.
81 guess I'll go little further" he
thought. "There's no telling when I'll
get another ride, and I'd better make
i. the most of this
But he went even q shorter distance
further than he intended, for, half way
across the bridge, the horse suddenly
stopped, gave wild snort of terror, and
began to back. Stuart saw that the ami
NAL was frightened by an old tree which,
blasted by lightning and deprived of its
bark, stood at the other end of the
bridge like q ghostly sentinel, looking
almost snow-white in the uncertain light;
bat, unaccustomed to horses, be did not
know what to do, and in his excitement
and alarm pulled too hard on one rein.
Tho horse reared, gave wild whirl,
and the next instant went plunging
over the side of the bridge into the gulch,
nearly thirty feet below.
Strange to say; Stuart escaped serious
injury; being only stunned and bruised
by the fall, and at the expiration of q
few minutes was able to get up from
the bed of mud into which he had fall
en-. But the handsome brown horse
did not move; he lay among the
weeds and stones with a broken neck.
n IL
the animal was dead; it seemed too hor-
r1ble to be true. But all his efforts to
rouse the poor creature proving futile;
he sat down, sick and white, upon the
nearest stone, and shouted to his COM
paniofis for help.
But his shouts were 50 faint that it
was long time before they were ans
werel. Then the boys came running
up, frightened at his long absence, but
utterly unprepared for the dreadful
news Stuart had to tell them. They
were terribly shocked, and gathered
about the dead horse, uttering many
expressions of dismay and sorrow.
81 don't know how [ shall ever tell
old Simon" groaned Stuart. "Boys,
he'll just about kill me. :"
"Tell him !" exclaimed Tom Halpine.
'1ou're surely not going to be such
fool! What's the use of telling him
Well take away the bride, and the old
fellow will never know but that the
horse jumped the fence and fell over
here by himself"
at wouldn't be right to let him think
that returned Stuart. "No, I've got
to tell" d"
"And bring all the rest of US into the
muss, too, L suppose said Ben Hop
per.
mo; I'll promise not to mention any
of you. There's no need of it that L
can see."
"And can't see that there's anything
to be gained by telling Peiffer," said
Luke. 1T won't bring the horse to
life again. What's the use CT being
such a saint, Stuart? ?''
81 don't pretend to be SAINT ar1s-
wered Stuart, ''but I'm not a coward. |
] shall tell Peiffer if he kills me the next !
minute. It's all can do"
ooh, youl think better of if" soid
Luke, as he removed the rope bride
from the neck of tue deal horse. "a
nights sleep viii cool you off,
But the night brought no sleep to
Stuart, 50 tormented was he by thoughts
of the beautiful brown horse lying dead
among the weeds and stones below the
bridge, AMI when morning came it found
his resolution unchanged. He was, as
he had said no coward, and he intended
to confess what he had done, irrespect-
i've of cons e luences.
That Mr.. Peiffer would be very severe
he did not doubt for moment. Per
haps the old man would give him ter
tible thlashihg or put him into Jail. He .
was sure to mete out a punishment |
equal to the Offense, and Stuart knew !
the otfense was very great.
He looked so white and haggard when !
he came down stairs ut s o'clock that |
his mother uttered an exclamation of
alarm.
''You're sick, Stuart she said; ''you
can go straight back to bed. I'll attend
to the cow"
But Stuart shook his head and went |.
out to the stable to attend to the COW
himself. He had not told his mother /
about his misfortune. for he did not
want to worry her. 1t would be time
time enough to tell her when he had
seen Mr. Feiffer.
That she might not suspect that some
thing had cc;urred to trouble him, he
tried to eat his usual allowance OF grid !
die cakes ut breakfast, but every mouth
ful seemed to choke him, and he had to
give up the attempt in despair.
AS soon rs he rose from the table he
put on his hat and went out, despite his
mothers prophecy that the sun would
make him feel worse, and turned his
steps at once in the direction of Mr..
Peiffer's beautiful suburban residence
He had prepared little speech with
which he intended to begin his confes- !
sion, but every word of it fled from his
mind when he entered Mr.. Peiffer's
grounds and saw the old gentleman
stan ing only half dozen yards away,
eyes glaring at young negro who stood
before him looking sullen and defiant.
You needn't deny it, sir" were the
first words Stuart heard. 81 wouldn't
believe you on oath. You're the dullest
fellow [ ever had around my stables,
but ] did think you had sense enough
to put the bars up when you turned a
valuable horse like that out to pasture
Xo1a're- -diaeharGad. and ynn needn't ask
for q recommendation, for / won't give
it ~
With a heart that seemed like a lump
of lead in his breast, and hesitating
footsteps, Stuart approached the angry
pair.
"Mr. Peiffer," he said, in a low,
shaken voice. 81 want to speak to you,
SIR
"Well, speak, and be quick about it.,
was tho rough reioinder. "You want
work, suppose, and big wages. You
may as we'll leave, for [ haven't any
work to give you"
ono, sir; [ don't want work." stam-
mered poor Stuart. 81 want to tell you
that [ took your horse out of the pasture,
and-and-it got frightened and fell
over the bridge
For moment, it seemed much longer
to Stuart in his agony of suspense, the
old gentleman stared at him in utter 81
lence, his face fairly purple with rage
"You-you young reprobate - he ex-
claimed at last. ''You ought to be
shot :"
eyes, sir, I know it, answered Stuart
81 was never so sorry for anything in
all my life as [ am for this. But we
only wanted to have little fun, and
never thought of hurting tho horse
''Iou were not alone, then z" said Mr.
Peiffer
''NO, sir.
"Who were the others p
"There's no use III telling that, sir,
answered Stuart, true to the promise of
secrecy he had made. 81 was the one
who was on the horse when he fell over
the bridge, and it was all my fault. |
OTIOht not tO have tried tn cross tba